Generation of locomotive syndrome model

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14373
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory animal science
• Research Institution: Aoyama Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Hirata Hiromi 青山学院大学, 理工学部, 教授 (60402450)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aging problem is a series issue In Japan and the word "locomo" is drawing public attention. It is the abbreviation of locomotive syndrome, which is a condition of reduced mobility due to impairment of motor organs such as muscle, joint and bone. To developed a pathophysiological model of locomotive syndrome, we generated transgenic zebrafish expressing nuclear-localizing GFP, plasmamembrane-localizing YFP and filamentous actin-binding RFP in muscle cells. By crossing these lines, we have developed triple transgenic expressing these three fluorescent proteins in the same animals, enabling the visualization of nucleus, plasmamembrane and F-actin in live animals for quantitative analysis. Since studies of natural aging take time, we tried to develop fish models of progeria. Using CRISPR/Cas9 method, we generated several deletion alleles of aging-related genes in zebrafish. By crossing muscle imaging line and progeria model line, we are developing a new tool for locomotive syndrome study.

Free Research Field

神経生物学